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View Full Version : Wii wriststraps, this time, it's for REAL


Shadowrat
05-14-2007, 08:09 AM
I've seen the photos, read the stories, and watched the videos of people throwing their Wii Remotes. I never thought it would happen to me. The perpetrators always seemed to be of the frat boy inclination, trying to best each other in a primitive ritual where brute force is the sole strategy.

Now, i've done some experimentation on my pc. There is an upper limit to what the accelerometer will measure. It requires some muscle, but it's not difficult to get it there. There's clearly no benefit to swinging with all your might. Well, if you are really weak, then you might need all your might, but i have might to spare.

Consequently, i'd grown complacent. I didn't bother to put the wrist strap on. I never felt like i was in danger of loosing the remote. Thus an unfortunate turn of events transpired in my living room last night.

First was my brother, in bowling. Overwhelmed by adrenaline he wound up and hurled the remote headlong into the tv. I'm glad i haven't bought a nice tv yet. The remote ricocheted off the tv, into the ceiling, then skittered across the floor. I think i nearly cracked a tooth, i was clenching my jaw so tight.

I wanted to explode at him. However, i was the guy who had earlier told everyone that the constant wrist strap messages could probably be ignored as long as you just remembered to not let go of the controller.

He has been forbidden to play without the wrist strap now. And he must pass a 3 point wrist strap exam before playing.

Well, after that, everyone started with the wrist straps. All seemed fine, until, in the midst of a heated tennis match, my dad hurled his remote straight into the ceiling. It took out a 2.54cm diameter chunk, and actually cracked the casing of the remote.

He apologized profusely and offered to buy me another remote. Thankfully, it snapped back together and seems to work just fine. He was also put on the list of people who require a 3 point safety check prior to using the wii.

The moral is there are two kinds of people who throw wii remotes, and they are both in my family.

Creole Ned
05-14-2007, 08:13 AM
This is what happens when you create a product with mass appeal. Hopefully the Wii will not reduce your house to rubble. If it does, take pics!

Also, kudos for using the word "loosing" correctly!

Shadowrat
05-14-2007, 08:15 AM
spell checker says it's ok.

Patton
05-14-2007, 08:55 AM
I want to make a FMV of a wii remote reducing someone's home to rubble after a poor tennis swing.

Shadowrat
05-14-2007, 09:14 AM
I wouldn't watch it because i now have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from watching wiimotes fly around my living room.

Patton
05-14-2007, 09:32 AM
I'm imagining that it will be much like when Magneto escapes from prison in X-Men 2. Instead of little balls of lead flying around Magneto breaking glass and people's faces, it'll be Wiimotes flying around a malevolent Mario, breaking furniture, televisions, windows, ceilings, tiles, and fine china.

jackrabbit
05-14-2007, 11:43 AM
Getting Rat mad enough to explode is a scary thought. In 16 years, I've seen him get mad twice.

I praise him for his restraint, though. I'd have disowned them.

Also, holy crap. I've known Rat for 16 years.

Patton
05-14-2007, 12:05 PM
old

Andri
05-14-2007, 01:00 PM
Old who? You or JR?

Patton
05-14-2007, 01:03 PM
everyone but me

jackrabbit
05-14-2007, 01:04 PM
Rat's older than me by 2 years. So he's old. I'm still in the springtime of my life!

Andri
05-14-2007, 01:13 PM
Still closer to bricking age with every year that passes, my friend. :bg:

Medic
05-14-2007, 01:17 PM
The brick broke last time we tried to hit Orion with it.

We're gonna need a new one. Maybe one made out of iron.

With a handle.

Andri
05-14-2007, 02:39 PM
$15.95 on e-bay

Q
05-14-2007, 05:08 PM
But if it's iron then it's no longer a brick...

Circuit
05-14-2007, 05:14 PM
I think what a lot of people don't get with the Wii is that you don't have to flail around violently to make the controller work. So like Ned said, the mass appeal actually works against the whole thing since you've now got a lot of non-gamers playing video games. Even worse, they play them on the Wii, thinking that it's a requirement to exactly mimic the motions they want their on-screen characters to perform.

Shadowrat
05-14-2007, 08:06 PM
The flailing is fine. The problem is the letting go of the whole controller.:bg:

Circuit
05-14-2007, 09:40 PM
Well, yeah. I'd hate to see all these controller throwers actually play real tennis or something.

Orion
05-14-2007, 11:41 PM
considering your troubles Rat, I'd force EVERYONE who wants to play Wii with you to wear the wrist strap and complete a written exam first.

Fitty
05-15-2007, 02:53 AM
I flail but I always wear the strap

F7
05-15-2007, 11:21 AM
I flail but I always wear the strap


:eek: